


Failing the Rorschach Test

by Bluehaven4220



Series: Tim and Abby: Across the Water [4]
Category: Homicide: Life on the Street, due South
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, F/M, Family Dinners, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 18:52:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17945177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluehaven4220/pseuds/Bluehaven4220
Summary: Somedays, things just go from good to bad to worse.





	Failing the Rorschach Test

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to ButterflyGhost for the magificant beta.
> 
> Special thanks to lightspire for the ideas bouncing and encouragement through this process.

I’m looking out the window into the backyard as I watch Tim play on the grass with Robo, and all I can think of is how much I love them both. They are everything I ever wanted, even if Robo is a bit of a knobhead right now (I’ll blame that on the fact that he’s not neutered yet) and driving me up the wall. So, in order for me to put the finishing touches on the hors d'oeuvres for our first family dinner party in our new home, I sent the two of them outside for a while. In fact, I think my exact words were along the lines of “Robo, you’re under my feet! I can’t make dinner if you keep trying to trip me. Tim, please take our dog out to play for a little while?” And Robo had practically sprinted to the back door out into the yard. Mention going outside, and Robo gets so excited he trips over himself.

As soon as we brought Robo home, we knew that there was no way the three of us could live comfortably in the one bedroom apartment I’d rented from Mrs. Norton. There were genuine tears in her eyes when Tim and I told her that we would not be signing another lease, and instead would have to find ourselves a house. Being the gracious lady that she is, she agreed to let us stay month to month until we found the perfect house for us.

It took us about three weeks, and I had to do most of the house hunting myself. Tim, Frank, Meldrick, and Mike Kellerman were so close to getting a lead on Georgia Rae Mahoney, hoping to possibly bring her down, and he couldn’t take time away to come with me. I understood _why_ , but that didn’t mean that I didn’t feel constantly overwhelmed in trying to find a house within our budget.

Thank God for both Tim’s mother Virginia and our real estate agent, Jackie McAudley. She combed through countless listings for us, and Virginia came with me to the house showings. We went around to several different neighbourhoods in Baltimore, and eventually found a three bedroom two storey detached house in Woodberry. We wanted a backyard that was big enough for Robo to run around in, and, eventually, for a baby. Plus, with three bedrooms we could turn one into a nursery, and one into a spare bedroom.

The oven beeps as I watch Tim pick up Robo’s stuffed duck and throw it across the yard. As I take dinner out of the oven to let it rest, I hear the doorbell ring and the front door open.

“Hello the house!” Virginia calls as she opens the front door.

“Hi Virginia!” I call as she closes the door behind her, takes off her shoes and comes toward the kitchen. I come around the counter and kiss her cheek. “Tim’s just outside running in the yard with Robo. Can I take anything for you? Get you something to drink?”

“Sure. I’d love some cranberry juice if you’ve got it.”

“I picked some up yesterday.” I go to the fridge and find a glass for her as she sets a paper grocery bag on the counter.

“I brought bread and salad ingredients.”

“Oh perfect. That’ll pair well with the vegetable lasagna.” I knocked on the window above the sink to catch Tim’s attention.

He turned around and waved just as Robo brought back the stuffed duck. He took it, and walked to the back door,

“In you go,” I heard him say as Robo bounded back into the house. “Sit. We need to wipe your feet.” Robo listens and sits as Tim grabs an old towel we keep by the door for this exact purpose, “Okay, all done. Go get yourself a drink.”

Robo skids across the floor over to his water bowl, and laps loudly. Tim takes off his jacket and boots and hangs them up before coming back into the kitchen. “Hi Mom.” He greets Virginia with a big hug. “How was the drive?”

“Alright, not too bad. Stopped at the grocery store for some ingredients to help with dinner. Is it just us tonight?”

“My Dad and Ray are in town for a few days,” I interjected. “Unfortunately Ray got the Thanksgiving shift this year, so this is basically an early Thanksgiving dinner for us. Well, technically we could call this an early Victoria Day dinner. In America I think you just say May two-four weekend, right?” Virginia nods slightly. She’s used to me spouting random information at awkward times. “They’d been planning to come out for it but now they can’t, it just made sense for all of us to have a family dinner together this weekend.”

“Family dinners anytime are nice, they don’t just have to be on the holidays,” Virginia smiles. “Do you know, I don’t think I’ve met them yet.”

“You haven’t?” I search my memory for a second. “No, I guess you haven’t. Don’t you worry, they are wonderful, and I’m sure you’ll get along fantastically.”

“When are they coming in?” Tim asks as he goes to the sink to wash his hands. “And are they bringing Dief?”

“Yes, Dief is coming along this time.”

And now I’m left to wonder if Dief and Robo will get along. We’ll have to do a controlled introduction once they get here. “Their flight just landed twenty minutes ago, so I’m thinking we’ll see them in about half an hour.”   

“Will dinner keep until then?”

“Oh sure. If I need to, I’ll put it back in the oven to stay warm.”

I see Virginia relaxing a bit as she sips at her cranberry juice. “Okay, put me to work…”

As Tim sets the table and Virginia finishes prepping the salad, I hear the doorbell ring again and the front door open.

“Abby? Tim?”

“Hi Ray!” I call. Both he and Dad appear with what looks like a box and a cookie tin, Dief bounding in after them. I’m still surprised at how much energy Dief has, since he’s quite old now. “Hi Dief! I missed you!”

Upon seeing Dief come in, Robo sprints into the kitchen and steps in front of me, staking his claim on me and letting out a warning bark.

“Yes, I see you, Robo,” I rub his head and make him sit. So much for a controlled introduction. “Robo, this is Dief. Dief lives with my dad and Ray. He’s only here for a visit.” I have to speak to Robo as though he’s a human toddler, but that’s the level he’s at for the moment. Robo licks my hand. “Yes, good boy. Nice kisses.”

I see Ray trying not to laugh as I kiss him on the cheek and give Dad a squeeze. “What’s in the box?”

“Raspberry turnovers, and some scones for breakfast tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful. Raspberry turnovers are my favourite. But of course you knew that.”

“Of course I did.” He wraps me in a hug and goes to shake Tim’s hand. Dad steps in and greets me in the same manner. I’ve always loved his hugs.

“Hi sweetheart.” He whispers and notices Virginia looking at us over my shoulder. “Hello! Benton Fraser. I’m Abby’s father.” Dad lets go of me for the second time and extends his hand.

“Virginia Bayliss,” she looks as though she’s trying to wrap her head around how young Dad is, same as Tim did the first time the two of them met. “I’m Tim’s mother. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well,” Dad smiles at her as she shakes his hand. “When did you get here?”

“Just about twenty minutes ago.” She answers, and I can see that Tim’s noticed she doesn’t know what to say. It’s the same thing again: she’s shocked at the fact that Dad is so young. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but did you say that you’re Abby’s father?”

“Yes ma’am,” Dad was used to this question. I’m surprised he’s not sick of it, and if he is, he hides it well. “I was quite young when she was born.”

“May I ask how young?” Bless her, she wasn’t intending to be rude, she was simply curious.

“Hey, Tim, why don’t we get the table finished up?” Ray attempts to change the subject.

Virginia recognizes that it’s probably a conversation best saved for another day, and we all bring ourselves to the table to sit down for dinner. Fresh bread, vegetable lasagna, and salad with raspberry turnovers was the perfect meal for all of us.

 

ooOoo

Oh Lord, I have never been as nervous to have my mother over for dinner. Once I came in the door with Robo, she hugged me and slipped the ring box in my pocket. I’m just hoping that Abby didn’t notice.

I had gone to visit my mom after work before heading home just after Abby and I bought our house, and told her that I was planning on asking Abby to marry me. Since we _had_ just made this big commitment to each other, I didn’t understand why I was so nervous to ask her.

_“I know how you feel about her,” Mom said. “And how important she is to you,” she leaned forward on the couch and put her hand on my knee. “Tell you what. How about I give you my engagement ring to give to Abby?”_

_I blinked. I’d never seen Mom’s engagement ring, and, honestly, hadn’t asked. And I was floored at the suggestion. But now I see that this meant she accepted Abby. Why else would she offer?_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Every woman who’s married into the Bayliss family has worn that ring, Tim, starting with your great-grandmother,” she explained. “It’s only right that Abby should wear it.”_

_“Um…” I stammered. “Uh… I don’t know what to say.”_

_“Hold on for a minute, and let me find it for you,” she gets up and disappears into her bedroom._

_Suddenly the living room is too big, the sounds of the house too loud, and I’m even more aware of the implications of this decision._

_“Okay, here it is…” Mom comes back into the room holding a circular ring box. She pries it open to show me the ring that she says has been in the family for years and years. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. “Your grandfather often told me that your grandmother felt like the most beautiful woman in the world whenever she wore this ring. It might need to be resized for Abby’s finger but I hope it does the same for her.”_

_I_ _noticed that she didn’t mention my great-grandmother’s reaction, because at the end of her husband’s life, he told her that he was sorry he married her, and vice versa. The two of them had a long, contemptuous marriage, and by the end, I wonder if they were just sick of each other._

 _But sitting in the living room now,_ _I don’t know what else to do, so I simply get up and hug her. “You’re wonderful, Mom. I don’t know how to thank you.”_

_“You thank me by telling me Abby’s ring size. After I get it resized for you, you give this ring to Abby. How does that sound?”_

_“That sounds like the most terrifying suggestion in the world,” I admitted, and I feel my chest tighten at the thought. “What if she says no?”_

_“If you have to wonder about_ that, _then you shouldn’t be asking her to marry you,” Mom chuckles against my shoulder. “Do you honestly believe she’d say no?”_

_“No. No, I don’t think she would,” I insisted. “It’s nerves. That’s all. Just nerves.”_

_Mom smiles and reaches up to stroke my cheek. “Abby’s a lucky woman.”_

_“I’m the lucky one,” I tell her. “Now I just have to figure out how to ask her.”_

 

ooOoo

“That was delicious, Abby,” Virginia tells me as I get up and start clearing plates. “Can I help at all?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind grabbing the leftovers, we can wrap them up after we put all the dishes in the dishwasher.” I wait for her as she  picks up the lasagna pan and the salad bowl and follows me back into the kitchen. “That’s an impressive balancing act. Where’d you learn to do that?”

“We hosted all our holiday dinners when Tim was younger. At least ten people around the table and everyone’s dishes needing to be washed at once…”

“Thank God for dishwashers,” I open the compost bin and scrape the remnants in before closing it with my foot. “Also, if I don’t close the compost every time, Mr. Garbage Gut over there will try to help himself.”

Robo, who had been resting comfortably in his crate after his meeting with Dief and earlier outdoor playtime, suddenly appeared at my feet, ears standing straight up.

“Yes, I meant you, silly boy,” I address him as Virginia goes back into the dining room and comes back with the bread basket and the rest of the dinner plates. “You’ve had your dinner, and treats earlier today. No more.”

“Robo seems like a happy dog. You’ve both done a great job with him.”

“Thank you, Virginia, that’s very sweet of you, although sometimes I wonder if he still remembers some of his police academy training and that’s why we’ve had a bit of an easier time.” I scrape the rest of the dishes into the compost and load the plates into the dishwasher. “Would you mind wrapping the lasagna up in plastic wrap and putting it in the fridge? There’s just enough for leftovers the rest of the weekend.”

“No problem.” Virginia does as she said she would. “I don’t know if Tim told you, but we used to have a dog.”

“Last I heard, Tim hadn’t had a dog before Robo.”

“Well not for himself. Tim’s dad had a dog.”

“Yeah?”

“An Irish setter named Molly. We haven’t had a dog around since she died, and that was around fifteen years ago.”

“Explains why he hadn’t mentioned it.” And it also explains why Tim is so good with Robo while they’re playing or simply in the house or on walks together. That kind of comfort and skill around dogs doesn’t come instantaneously; that takes time and patience.

Virginia smiles. “When did you decide to adopt Robo?”

“Tim had his name down on the list for a dog for a while before we got together, and then they called us a few months ago. After that, we met him and knew immediately that he was coming home with us...”

 

ooOoo

Okay, Abby is occupied with my mom in the kitchen. If nothing else, I figure now is the best time to talk to both Ben and Ray about my plan. I know I don’t _need_ to ask them, but I think Ben would appreciate the sentiment. Abby’s still his daughter, just like I’m still my mother’s son.

“Hey, um…” I start just as we finish putting out the dessert plates and cutlery. “I want to ask you about something, but… can we maybe move to the living room?”  

“Sure…” Ben nods as we move over there, and Ray raises his eyebrow. I suddenly feel as though I’m on trial, even though there’s no reason for me to feel that way. After all, I’m not asking for permission, I’m asking for their blessing, and I know they will know the difference.

They sit on the couch across from me, while I’m in one of the end chairs.

“So,” I lean forward and clasp my hands together. “I’m extremely nervous to ask this but I know I should.”

“Go on then, Tim, you’re making _me_ nervous,” Ray sweeps his hand out in an inviting motion. “Is something wrong?”

“Not wrong, but this is a bit of a big question for both of you.”

Ben leans forward. “Go on, just ask.”

“I…” I manage. “I’m going to ask Abby to marry me, and I’d like your blessing.”

The silence that has suddenly settled around the room is the loudest I’ve ever heard. Ben’s mouth has turned into a straight line, and Ray looks as though I’ve just hit him over the head with a shovel.

“You’re asking permission, like Abby’s our property?”

“What? No, of course not…”

“Ray, Ray…” Ben puts up a hand to rescue me. “No, Tim’s asking for our blessing. That’s a completely different thing.” He turns his attention back to me. “You’re not asking if we’d allow it, you’re asking us to say ‘yes, go ahead, we have no objections’, correct?”

“Yes, that’s precisely what I’m asking,” I confirm, and I feel the tension melt out of my shoulders.

“Oh okay,” Ray seems to understand now. “So, I guess that means you’ve got a ring and all that?”

“Yeah I do,” I dig into my pocket and pull out the ring box. I haven’t seen it since my mom took it to be resized, and it looks exactly the same as when my mom showed it to me. “It was my mother’s. She told me that every woman who marries into the Bayliss family has worn it.”

“It’s beautiful, Tim,” Ben tells me. “I’ve never seen Abby as happy as she is when she is with you. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about the age difference between you at first, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m happy to tell you I have no objections. Go ahead and ask her.”

Ray nods in agreement, and I swallow thickly.

“Thank you Ben.” I stand up and offer him my hand.

Ben does more than that. He pulls me to him and hugs me tightly. Never mind that he and I are the same age, he’s just acknowledged the fact that, if Abby says yes, he’s going to be my father-in-law.

Ray stands up and holds out his hand. His handshake is very firm, and I understand the meaning behind it. He’s just silently told me that yes, I can ask Abby, but if I hurt her, he’ll kill me and make it look like an accident.

Now I just have to figure out how to ask her...

 

ooOoo

It’s still light out when Virginia announces that she’s ready to head home, and bids us all a good night. But as she does, I notice that she squeezed Tim quite tightly, and gave me a slight smile over his shoulder as she did.

Dad and Ray would be staying the night, now that we have the spare room set up. This was really the first time they’d have a chance to see the house, as they’d been in Chicago while Virginia and I were house hunting.

“I don’t think I’ve given you the tour yet, have I, Dad?”

“Well I’ve seen the kitchen and dining room,” he grins at me, showing me the slightly crooked eye tooth that we share. “And I saw the spare room, plus the living room. You and Virginia chose very well.”

“I’m just sorry that I couldn’t involve you, Dad. You and Ray helped me choose my apartment, and this time I had to leave you out of it.”

“This is your home, Abby,” Dad insisted. “You shouldn’t be worrying about whether or not I like it, or whether I was able to help you choose it. If you and Tim are happy here, then that’s all that matters.”

“We are, Dad. We are so incredibly happy here,” I tell him as he and I sit down on the couch. Ray is outside on the back porch with Tim, and Robo and Dief are out there too, running circles around the backyard. “The house is everything I ever wanted. It’s just… you know when a house just grabs you and says ‘Yep, you’re mine now?’ That’s what this house did.”

“That just means it was meant for you.”

Dad is sounding very pleased and happy for us, but there’s something that’s been bothering me lately, and I want to talk with him about it before he, Ray, and Dief go back to Chicago.

“You know,” I start, switching to Inuktitut, and Dad’s ears perk up immediately. “I’ve been thinking about Mom a lot.”

“You have?” He asks, leaning back into the couch. “What brought this on?”

“Oh, just…” I sigh. “There’s been so much _change_ lately, and with Tim’s mom around more often than she was, and I _adore_ her, please don’t think I don’t, I feel bad for being so happy. You and Mom never got to do this. What gives _me_ the right to be so happy?”

“Oh, baby girl,” Dad reaches for my hand. “You have every right to be as happy as you are right now, and even happier in the future if you choose to be. I don’t think your mother would want you to feel as though your happiness doesn’t count simply because she never got to experience what you’re experiencing.”

“I don’t understand why I’m feeling like this,” I tell him, and struggle to keep a sob from escaping. “Usually when there’s a lot of change happening, I have dreams about her, and they are good dreams. It hasn’t happened in a long time. I suppose I got used to thinking that I’d see her whenever something big was happening.”

“Maybe there’s nothing big happening at this very moment.”

“Buying a house with the man I love isn’t ‘something big?’”

“Maybe she sees it as simply another stepping stone in your relationship with Tim.”

I sighed. Sometimes Dad was too smart for his own good. “Do you still think about her?”

 

ooOoo

I smile at my daughter. “All the time,” I tell her. “Without her, I wouldn’t have you. And every day I’m thankful for that.”

Abby sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Tim and I have been talking about going up to Tulita.”

Ah. So _that’s_ where this is coming from.

“I’ve told Grandmother all about him, and the last time she and I spoke, she said she wanted to meet him.”

I nodded. I’m not surprised Rebecca wants to meet Tim. After all, Abby is her granddaughter as much as she is my daughter, and without Rebecca, Abby and I would have been lost. She probably wants to make sure that Abby’s found the right person for her.

“I’m sure she’d be thrilled to see you, and your cousins would relish a visit.”

“Not if Innusiq has anything to say about it. For all I know he’s filling their heads with images of me as the Devil. Same as he did to you.”

I stopped. “What are you talking about?”

“The last time I went up to visit, I asked him if he regrets the fact that I’m alive.” I’d never told Dad about this before. “He didn’t deny it. He simply packed up Sheila and the kids and went home. In essence, he told me that if I hadn’t been born, Mom wouldn’t have died and he’d still have his perfect little family.”

 _How fucking dare he?_ I’m so stunned I’m momentarily lost for words, but I can’t let Abby see that; it would just upset her more than she already is.

“Oh baby girl,” I put my hand on her back as she leans forward and puts her head in her hands. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“And say what? ‘Sorry Grandmother, I’m not bringing the man I love to meet you because your son is a dick?’”

“Not those words _specifically,”_ I answer. “Do you really think your grandparents would reject him?”

“No, not Grandmother and Grandfather. And I don’t think Sheila or the kids would either. It’s Innusiq’s reaction that I’m worried about. If he hates _me_ as much as he seems to, why would he like Tim any better?”

“That has nothing to do with you, Abigail.” I insist. Frankly, I’m about ready to call Innusiq right now and tear him a new asshole for this. “Whatever Innusiq’s feelings, they are his problem, not yours. I’m surprised this has surfaced so many years later. I truly thought that he’d dealt with his feelings about your mother.”

“Obviously he didn’t,” she points out. “The tricky part is, I don’t want Grace and Jonathan thinking that this entire mess is their fault, because it’s _not._ They like me well enough. So does Sheila.”

“Then focus on that. Your grandparents have always loved you more than life itself. And I’m sure they’d love Tim just as much. How could they not? All they’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy on your own path through life, and you’ve done that.”

“Even still, I’m scared,” she admits. “I’m scared to go up to Tulita and find that everyone and everything has changed.”

People change as they grow, it’s inevitable. But I know that that information won’t help. I don’t know what to say here to make things better. All I can do is hold her when she tries to hold her tears in.

She sighs and runs her hands through her hair to get it out of her face. “I should probably find Tim and take Robo out for a walk.”

 

ooOoo

I compose myself enough to listen to the noise in the backyard.

“Judging from that, Robo is being a knobhead and needs to go out for a walk before Dief does something about it. He’s not happy unless he’s walked for ten miles a day.”

“Dief as well, but you knew that,” Dad laughs. “Alright, let’s go find our better halves and take the dogs out. Lord knows I’d like to stretch my legs after being on a plane.”

“It was only an hour plane ride.”

“Yes, but you know as well as I do that Dief hates being in a carrier for any amount of time. That might be why his patience for Robo is running a bit thin.”

“I love that silly puppy,” I smile at Dad. “Alright, let’s go find everyone and head out, hmm? Although it might be better for me and Tim to take Robo while you and Ray go off with Dief.”

“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Tim says when he and Ray come back inside with the dogs, Robo looking particularly pleased with himself. “Robo’s been trying to get Dief to run along with him but Dief’s having none of it.”

“Oh dear,” Dad walks to the hall closet and grabs my coat for me. “Sounds as though we all need to head outside.”

“Good idea,” Ray mimics Dad and grabs his own coat. “Let’s go before these goofballs decide to jump on each other. Come on Dief.”

Dief is so excited to be going for a walk, I’m surprised Robo didn’t try and give chase due to adrenaline. They were out and down the block before we were ready to start our own walk. Since Robo loves the park, we thought it best to head that way. We would meet back at the house later.

Robo loves running through the grass and along the paths through the playground. Since it’s a bit later and getting darker, most people are inside getting ready for bed, so he has a lot more freedom to run and be on a longer lead than I’d allow while other people were around.

These are my favourite moments; when we can go out together after work with Robo and just _be._ When we don’t have to worry about anyone and anything else, just being with each other and enjoying the spring weather. As we walk, I slip my free hand in his and I hear him sigh.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I say as I give Robo a little more slack on his leash. It took him a few weeks to remember that humans don’t run as fast as dogs, but he’s calmed down enough that he can walk on a lead.

“Oh, just…” Tim shakes his head slightly. “I’ve just been thinking about something. Something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“Yeah?” I turn my head and look at the side of Tim’s face as we walk. Robo is pulling on my arm.

“I was just wondering, while we’re out walking with our dog, what would you say if I asked you to marry me?”

“Well, I’d…” I feel Robo tugging on the leash, and look over to see that he’s getting the leash tangled around his feet. “Oh, Robo, you _numpty_!” I let go of Tim’s hand and bend to help our puppy. “I’d probably ask you to wait while I finish untangling Robo’s leash from around his leg.” I start threading the leash around. “Robo, fix feet…” He does, and looks at me, ears pointed and tongue out in a smile. “And then I’d say yes.” The entire park is suddenly quiet, and I realize that we’ve stopped under a street lamp. “Wait, what?”

I watch as Tim reaches into his coat pocket and pulls something out. He places it flat on his palm and holds it out to me.

“I’ve been wanting to give this to you for the last six months…” he swallows thickly, but doesn’t move. “Probably even before that, because I’ve been in love with you since the first moment I met you. I haven’t been holding on to it for that long but…” he has to stop for a moment, and I have to remind myself to breathe. “The way I wanted this to go was to leave it completely up to you. If you open the box, I’ll know that your answer is a Yes.”

“Uh…” I feel my mouth drop open slightly, and Robo scrambles back from sniffing around the lamp post to see what we’re doing. I blink, and feel my hands shaking as I take the box from Tim’s palm.

I gingerly push the lid open with my thumb, and gasp.

“Abigail Fraser,” I can hear the emotion in Tim’s voice as he steps closer to me, placing a hand on my hip. “Will you be my wife?”

“Yes!” I blurt out, making sure I don’t drop the ring box. “Of course I will. Yes. A thousand times yes.”

Tim chuckles, and bends to kiss me, wrapping his hand around mine so that he can take the box back. “Can I put this on your finger?”

I pull him to me and kiss him again. “Yes, please do. My hands are shaking.” I tell him between kisses.

His hands are just as shaky as he pulls the ring from the box and slides it onto my finger. He kisses me again, and I feel like I’m floating.

We stop frequently on the way home, simply because I still can’t believe it. And whenever we stop, I get up on my toes to kiss my husband-to-be. That’s so lovely to think of. I get to tell people that I’m engaged to Tim! Then we look at each other and laugh. And when we laugh, Robo barks happily. Then a few steps later, we do it again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

We get to the front door to see Dad and Ray standing on the porch, waiting for us. I hadn’t had a chance to give them a spare key just yet, though I probably will later tonight, since Virginia has one. Luckily it was a nice night, and no one was worried about getting cold. Ray, leaning on one of the poles on the porch, is the first to greet us.

“Well?” He asks, arms crossed across his chest.

I smile, and I’m sure they can see it from across the front lawn. “I said yes.”

I’m sure the neighbours heard the cheering and barking from three blocks over. We all go back into the house, and the cheering and laughter starts again. I turn on the light in the living room so that we can get a better look at the ring.

It’s one of the most beautiful rings I’ve ever seen. Three diamonds (a big one in the centre, flanked by two smaller ones) on a thick silver band. And it fits perfectly.

“It was my mom’s,” Tim explains as I flex my fingers. “She offered it to me to give to you, as every woman who has married into the Bayliss family has worn it.”

“She did?” I’m even more stunned now, and grateful that Virginia was so generous. I can’t imagine how she must be feeling right about now. “I’ll call her in the morning and thank her.”

“Congratulations you two,” Dad’s smile has split his face. I’m surprised his cheeks aren’t hurting from all the activity. “May I have a closer look, Abby?”

I raise my left hand and lay it flat on Dad’s palm, and for the first time in a long time, I am acutely aware of Dad’s wedding ring on his right hand. He still wears his ring from when he and Mom got married, but, now that he and Ray are together, he moved it to his right hand. Truthfully, after twenty-one years of viduity, I’m glad he took that step over two years ago. “This is beautiful. It suits you perfectly.” I can hear the lump in his throat.

“Oh Dad…” I pull him to me and squeeze him tightly.

“Let’s give them a minute,” I hear Tim whisper to Ray, who I catch nodding out of the corner of my eye. “I’ll finish giving you the house tour.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ray whispers back. I know they’re trying to be discreet, but with Dad having such extraordinary hearing, there’s no way they could have kept that plan a secret.

Once Tim and Ray are out of the room, Dad sniffs loudly against my shoulder.

“Hey,” I let him pull back slightly. “What is it, Dad? What’s the matter?”

“You’re so grown up,” he tells me. “But sometimes I still see you as the little baby who needed to be bottle fed, and I had no idea what I was doing. And then sometimes I see you as the toddler who wouldn’t go to sleep without Lulu,” he chuckles, and turns his head away for a moment. “And now here you are, all grown up and getting engaged.” He puts his hands on my shoulders and sighs. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl.”

“Aren’t I a little old for that nickname?”

“No,” he insists. “You’re still, and always will be my baby girl. You’re never too old for that.” He heaves another big sigh and wipes his eyes with his shirt sleeve. “Come on, let’s go find Ray and Tim. I’d like to see the rest of the house as well.”

“I like how they thought that whispering was going to keep us from hearing them,” I chuckle, and lead Dad out of the living room and down the hall to the staircase, As we do, we pass Robo and Dief curled up together just outside of Robo’s crate. “Aww, look at that. Guess my silly Robo puppy won you over, huh Dief?”

They are both passed out asleep so they can’t hear me. It’s not long before the rest of us are looking to follow their lead. Tim and I say goodnight to my Dad and Ray, and thank whatever Gods past and present that the guest room is on the other end of the hallway.

ooOoo

 

Early the next morning, it’s still quite dark out when the phone starts ringing. I reach out from under the blanket and manage to grab the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Abigail?” It’s Grandmother’s voice. Oh shit, what’s happened? She wouldn’t be calling so early if something wasn’t amiss.

“Grandmother?” I sit straight up in bed and shake Tim’s shoulder. He sits up and reaches for his glasses. “Grandmother, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”

“No, sweet girl,” she assured me, but she’s switched to Inuktitut. “No, I only called to ask you something.”

“Okay, but…” I do the same, and climb over Tim to check the alarm clock on the bedside table. “It’s seven in the morning here, which means it’s five o’clock for you. Why are you up so early?”

“Any later than 6am and I’m wasting the day,” Grandmother tells me. “The reason I called, sweet girl, is to ask you if something good happened for you last night.”

“Why?” I look over at Tim, who is looking about ready to jump out of bed and start packing a bag, if we need to. “Did you dream of something good happening?”

“I dreamt of your mother, actually.”

“You did?” I don’t remember Grandmother ever having dreams, much less about Mom. “What did she say?”

“Just that perhaps I should call you, because I hadn’t done so for a while,” she answered. “She also said it was a matter of the heart.”

“Have you dreamt about her before?”

“Only once, when you were very small. It was the night I watched you doing all you could to roll over from your back onto your belly, and I thought… my goodness, does this child ever look like June…” she paused for a moment and takes a breath. “And so, will you answer my question? Did something good happen for you last night?”

“Does Tim asking me to marry him count as good?” I’m smiling now, and I see Tim relax back into the pillow beside me.

“Oh, indeed it does,” I can hear the smile in her voice. “See, Henry, I was right! Something good _did_ happen.” She turns to speak to Grandfather for a moment. “But you know what this means, now, don’t you?” She turns her attention back to me.

“What’s that?”

“You _must_ bring him to Tulita,” Grandmother tells me. “We want to meet him, this Timothy Bayliss who has your heart.”

“Tim and I have been talking about coming to visit,” I answer. “But it doesn’t make sense for only the two of us to come. Dad and Ray should come as well.”

Grandmother doesn’t miss a beat. “Ray is your father’s love, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“We have yet to meet Ray. But in any case, I would welcome him as well. You also know that I would not refuse a visit from your father, he is my son-in-law. I love him just as I love you.”

“I love you too,” I snuggle back under the blanket and closer to Tim. “I promise we will call when we have booked the holiday time to come and see you, is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s a good plan,” she agrees, and I can tell our conversation is winding down. “Alright, my sweet girl. We will speak soon. Congratulations again.”

“Thank you, Grandmother. Speak soon. Bye now.” I hang up the phone and snuggle back in beside Tim.

He wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Everything okay?”

“Sure, it is _now_ , after she scared me half to death.” I turn over and smile at my husband-to-be. “She just wanted to congratulate us on our engagement.”

“At seven in the morning?”

“It’s five in the morning for her. She said that if she sleeps any later than six, she’s wasting the day away.”

“Five in the morning? How does she do that?”

I shrug. “The same as you do when you have the night shift, I suppose. But I guess that also comes with being my grandmother. She’d be up every morning helping my dad when I was a baby.”

“Proper protocol for phone calls is usually waiting until after 9am, unless there’s a murder.”

“Tell that to _her_ , see if you’re still alive at the end of that conversation…” I take a deep breath. “God, my heart’s beating so _fast!”_

 _"_ It’s okay…” Tim takes my hand and lays it over his chest. “Here. Do you feel my heart beating? Lay your head for a second.”

I do, and, slowly, the adrenaline subsides. As it does, a pleasant heaviness settles all through my arms and legs.

“She told me that I have to bring you to Tulita, lest she have my guts for garters.”

I can tell Tim’s eyes have gone wide, even though I’m not looking at him. “Did she actually say ‘have your guts for garters?’”

“Not explicitly. It was more in the tone.”

“Hmm…” I can feel Tim’s hand making its way down my arm. “We shouldn’t disappoint her, then.”

“We don’t have the money to go yet,” I answer and snuggle as close as I can. “It’s easily over two thousand dollars each, for us to fly up.”

“Ooh,” Tim winces. “Best to wait a bit, then.”

I nod against his chest. “I could get used to this.”

“What’s that?”

“Staying in bed all morning whenever we like,” I say. “Although I’m sure Robo would have something to say about it.” I yawn just as I finish speaking. “I’m still so tired. If I’m right, Dad is probably already out with both Dief and Robo. I let him borrow my key so they could go for walks.”

“Has it always been that way?”

“The early mornings or borrowing my key?”

“Both.”

“It kind of had to be,” I prop myself up and stretch my back a little. “Aside from my grandparents, it was just me and Dad for years,” I explain. “Sure, there were awkward moments and fights, but we’ve always been very close. Your mother has a set of keys as well, so it makes sense.”

“Yeah, I guess it does…” Tim kisses my hair, and we fall back to sleep holding each other, hoping that the phone doesn’t ring for a couple more hours at least.

The silence lasts until around nine o’clock, when I hear the front door open and Robo barking.

“Robo, what did I tell you? Hush now.” Dad is trying to be quiet. “You’ll wake the house!”

Tim and I are both waking up, but this time, it’s slow and leisurely. It’s a rare Saturday off for both me and Tim. We made sure that we don’t have to be anywhere today, so we can just take our time. Dad is perfectly capable of entertaining himself for a few minutes more.

And that’s especially important, since Tim is playing with my nipple under the blanket, and it feels sinfully good. Granted, I hadn’t had an orgasm last night, so having the opportunity for a bit of morning fun was something we didn’t want to waste.

If anyone heard us, they were tactful enough not to mention it when we came downstairs, freshly showered and in our pajamas and dressing gowns. Dad was already making coffee, though I had no idea how he managed to figure out our kitchen configuration and coffee maker in such a short time.

“Good morning Dad,” I greeted him, kissing his cheek. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Oh, I slept fine,” he kisses me back. “Your spare room is quite lovely, you two. Thank you kindly.”

“You’re welcome,” Tim offered, opening the cupboard and grabbing four mugs, two in each hand. “Although we weren’t going to have you sleeping in a hotel when we’ve got the space.” He set the mugs down on the table and grabbed the milk from the fridge. “Did Robo behave for you this morning?”

“We had a bit of trouble remembering how to walk on the sidewalk, and that we do not chase squirrels up trees, but otherwise fine.”

“You didn’t have to walk him for us, but thank you.”

“I heard the phone ring this morning, and thought you could use the extra sleep,” Dad explained. “I’d forgotten how your grandmother is always up with the sun.”

“‘Any later than six o’clock and I’m wasting the day,’” I quoted. “But how did you know I was talking to Grandmother?”

“I walked to the bathroom and heard you speaking Inuktitut through the door…”

“Yeah, she called to congratulate us,” I told him as Ray entered the kitchen and waved. “Scared me half to death, though. No one calling at seven in the morning has good news.”

“Frankly, I’d be surprised if she didn’t call you.”

Tim pours us all coffee, and Ray accepts his quietly, blinking as he sits at the dining room table.

“Then she told me that I must bring Tim up to Tulita,” I continue, pouring a splash of milk in my coffee. “Of course, she didn’t mean just the two of us, that’s not economically viable. She wants all four of us to come.”

“All four of us?” Ray looks as though I’ve just hit him in the head.

“Yeah, all four of us,” I repeat. “Dad, I think she’s a little hurt that she hasn’t met Ray yet.”

Dad turns a little red, and opens the pantry to find the flour. “Pancakes sound good to everyone?”

“Oh Dad, you’re going to make breakfast after you took the dogs for a walk? You’re our guest! Let Tim and I do breakfast.”

He blinked. “Right, okay. I’m…” he looks flustered for just a moment. “I’m going to go call your grandmother. I’ll pay for the long distance aspect.”

“Pfft, never mind that,” I wave him off. “Go call Grandmother. Ray, are you doing alright?”

“I’m good,” Ray goes into the pantry and finds the bag of M&Ms I bought specifically for him. “Perfect. How’d you know?”

“Uh, you’re my stepdad. I lived with you for over a year, I think I would know what you like in your coffee.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. Sassing me again…” he kissed my cheek quickly before heading back to the kitchen table. While Tim and I worked on getting pancake batter together, I heard Ray drop precisely seven candies into his mug.

“So,” I hear paper rustling and Ray’s voice go slightly muffled. “I’m going to assume that we’re all heading up to Tulita sooner rather than later.”

“I’d say so,” I agreed. I’m not sure Ray would understand, but the last time Mom was trying this hard to get our attention, Charles Carver was stalking me. If Grandmother is having dreams where Mom is speaking to her, and Dad gave me that look that told me he might have dreamt of her as well, then something is not right. “Tim, where’s the frying pan? I’ve completely forgotten where we put it.”

Tim chuckles lightly. “By the stove. In the bottom shelf of the Lazy Susan.”

“Right…” I give my head a shake and try to focus on getting breakfast together. “Gah, I’m all discombobulated. Thanks for the super early morning phone call, Grandmother. It’s _exactly_ what I needed today.”

“Hey,” Tim stays my hand on the bowl of pancake batter. “It’s alright. Just a bit of a rough morning. Are you worried?”

“Yeah, a little bit. Especially if Grandmother says she’s having dreams about my mom. That’s very new. Even when I dream of her, I’m never this nervous. I can’t help but feel like Grandmother wasn’t telling me the truth when she said nothing was wrong.”

“I think your dad has the cordless phone. Go see if you can find him.” He runs his hand down my back and gives me a reassuring kiss. “Ray and I can entertain each other, right, Ray?”

“Sure we can,” Ray jumps up and comes to the stove. “So, what’s your recipe for pancakes, Tim?”

I leave them to it, and go to find Dad.

Tim was right. Dad has the cordless phone, and he’s sitting on the end of the bed in the spare room. I knock on the door frame to get his attention. He waves me in, and I sit down beside him.

“I see…” he answers down the phone, and he’s speaking in Inuktitut. He always did when he spoke to Grandmother and Grandfather. “And why did you not say this to Abigail when you called her earlier?”

What? I grip the side of the bed in anticipation.

“Uh huh…” I wait to see what he says next. “And so, do you believe that we should make our way up to see you sooner rather than later?”

Silence.

“Alright. So all four of us, plus the dogs… yes, we will be bringing Dief,” he waits for a moment. “And Tim and Abby have their dog as well.” He’s silent again for another moment. “We’ll check for flights after breakfast this morning, then we’ll call you with dates and times. Okay, will do. I love you too, Rebecca. Bye.”

Dad hangs up the phone and takes a deep breath.

“What is it?”

He clears his throat, and looks right through me. Dad has never had cause to lie to me, and I don’t think he would start now.

“Your grandfather is very ill,” he tells me, still speaking in Inuktitut. Clearly this is something that neither Ray or Tim are supposed to hear. “And it’s quite serious. His doctor doesn’t believe he’ll see the winter.”

My stomach did an unnatural flip-flop and dropped into my feet. “But that’s not the whole of it, is it?”

Dad slowly shakes his head. “There’s also been damage to your mother’s resting place.”

I gasped, my hand over my mouth. “No wonder I hadn’t dreamt about her. She’s getting ready for Grandfather, and she wants you to come back…” I stop for a moment. “You dreamt about her though, didn’t you?”

“I did, but I didn’t want to say anything in front of anyone else. I know how dream interpretation can be difficult to understand for someone who hasn’t had exposure to it before.”

“So she’s getting ready for Grandfather’s arrival, and she wants justice for the damage done to her burial plot.” I nod. “Did whoever did it take anything?”

“Your grandmother didn’t say explicitly. But… and I know this is a very personal question, but I have to ask it.”

“Anything, Dad. It has to do with Mom. When _we_ talk about her, nothing’s off limits.”

“When you dream about her, what does she have in her hands?”

I blink. “Usually she’s sitting by the river. And she’s carving with her knife, and she has her feet on her sled, with all her crates and equipment for sleeping outside if she needs to.”

Dad nods. “She didn’t have it this time.”

“Which? The sled or the knife?”

“Neither.”

“Oh Good Lord!” I exclaim. In Inuit culture, you’re buried with the things you’ll need in the afterlife to help yourself. Dad once told me that Mom was buried with her carving knife, sled, and a picture of the two of them together. If she doesn’t have those when she walks in our dreams now, it can only mean one thing. “Okay, we… we have to call the airport, see if there are any flights available to Yellowknife.”

I hear a knock on the doorframe.

“Hey you two,” Ray says. “We’ve got breakfast ready.”

“Okay…” I nod. “Then we’ll get on the phone…”

I push past Ray and leave him with Dad. Once I do, I go into the kitchen to see Tim putting the empty frying pan on the back burner to cool.

“Put that down, please.”

He does, and I run into his arms. He holds me, resting his chin on the top on my head. I know he can tell that is something is wrong, but he’s waiting until I speak before assuming anything.

Just having him hold me is enough.

“We need to go up to Tulita,” I whisper into his chest. “I was right, Grandmother wasn’t telling me the truth.”

“She wasn’t?”

I slowly shake my head, and crane my neck to look him in the eyes. I tell him what Dad told me, and he agreed that, after breakfast, we needed to start searching for flights.

 

ooOoo

This is an extremely rough morning. Frankly, I think that all of us would rather crawl back into bed and start the whole day over. A foolish wish, sure, but we can still make it if we want to.

Abby was right, her grandmother wasn’t calling with good news and congratulations; she just couldn’t bring herself to tell Abby what was going on without first talking with Ben. And it’s really shaken the two of them. The house is unnaturally quiet; even Dief and Robo are silent.

A few minutes later, Ben appears in the kitchen, Ray right behind him. We all sit down to blueberry pancakes, but just as we do, the phone rings.

Holy fuck, who wants to talk to us _this_ badly?

I push my chair back and pick up the phone. “Hello? Yeah, Frank, what’s up?”

“I’m on my way to pick you up,” he answers without preamble. I hear Mary trying to get Olivia to take a bite of toast while Frank Junior screams in the background. “The prints from the payphone ended up being Junior Bunk’s.”

“Understood.” I answer, not wanting to alarm Ben, Ray, or Abby. “ETA?”

“About twenty minutes.” And he hangs up.

I hang up the phone, walk back to the table, and squeeze Abby’s shoulders.

“I’ve got to go to work,” I tell them all. “Abby, have you seen my tie?”

“Which one? You have so many.” She looks at her dad and Ray for a moment then gets up and follows me back toward the bedroom. “What is it?”

“That was Frank,” I answer as I open the closet door and grab my shirt. “There’s this case we’ve been working on, and we just got a hit off the prints from a payphone. It’s Junior Bunk.”

The look on her face tells me that she knows the name. “ _Be careful._ Please.”

“I will,” I give her a brief smile and a kiss as I button my shirt. “Frank will be here in twenty minutes. I have a feeling we’re backing into another red ball.”

“Meaning I shouldn’t expect you home until tomorrow or the day after?”

“It might come to that,” I finish tying my tie and grab a pair of pants, pulling them on and tucking my shirt into them. “I’m going to brush my teeth and then I’ll come say goodbye before I go.”

“Okay,” I kiss her cheek again and make my way to our bathroom. If this is what I think it is, everything that’s been brewing for Mike and Meldrick is about to come to a head. It’s like adding vinegar to baking soda; eventually it’s going to explode.

And God help us then.

 

ooOoo   

I come back into the kitchen to see Dad and Ray whispering to each other, too lost in their own conversation to notice that I’m there. That’s alright, though. They should still have time for themselves, especially while they’re here visiting. Instead of interrupting them, I decide to grab my cup of coffee off the table and go to check on Dief and Robo in the living room. They seem to have found common ground in Robo’s stuffed duck and his blanket from the police academy. It puts me in mind of when Dief was certified as a police service dog so that he could be at school with me when we first moved to Chicago.

I sit back on the couch for a few moments, then I hear a knock at the door.

I groan and go to answer it, coffee cup in hand.

“Good morning Abby,” Frank tips his hat, obviously trying not to stare at me. “I called a little earlier. We’ve got to go in.”

“I heard. Come on in,” I offer, moving out of the way so that Frank can step inside. He does, and we look at each other in silence for a few moments. “Can I get you something to drink? I know you don’t drink coffee anymore, but maybe some orange juice or cranberry juice?”

“No thanks, uh…” his eyes move toward my left hand. “Congratulations.”

I’m confused for a moment, then remember that I’m wearing my engagement ring. “Thank you,” I nod. “Whatever happens today, _please_ be careful. Both of you.”

Frank nods at me. We haven’t spent much time together, so I’m not surprised that we don’t have much to say to each other, but I have to place my trust in him to keep Tim safe. I’m sure Frank’s wife Mary has to do the same with Tim. For now, though, the fact that Frank is standing in my front hallway is a step in the right direction.

“Hey,” Tim comes back from the bedroom and joins us in the hallway. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s good,” I answer as he grabs his jacket. “Like I said, be careful. Be safe. I love you.”

Tim kisses me goodbye. “I love you too.”

I watch as he and Frank back out of the driveway, and wait until the car disappears around the corner.

 

ooOoo

I don’t know what to make of the news from Rebecca this morning. Not only is Henry sick, but there’s damage to June’s resting place. I haven’t been up there in nearly thirteen years, and suddenly I’m conflicted about going back. I still love June, and I always will, but I am also in love with Ray. Even if she _did_ release me, I still have ties to the Amaruq family. I’m scared to lose them. Plus, Abby has dealt with death since she was born; can I really ask her to go through this again?

“Hey…” Ray whispers, touching his forehead to mine. “You’re thinking again. Where are you?”

“I don’t know,” I answer, and for the first time, I _really_ don’t know. “I see June in Abby everyday, and when I speak to Rebecca and Henry, but I haven’t been back to Tulita in nearly thirteen years. What do I say to them?”

“How about starting with ‘Hello. I missed you. I brought you your granddaughter back?’”

I know Ray is joking with that last part, but it does help a little in breaking the tension. “It’s not only that, Ray. I haven’t seen June’s burial ground since she died. And now someone has vandalized it. How do I apologize to her for that? I wasn’t there to stop it.”

“No, you weren’t,” Ray answers. “But, you know what you _were_ doing? You were doing your damnedest to give Abby a good life. In your case, that meant getting out of Tulita. Which you did.” He pauses and waits for me to hear him. “And when you said that June had released you, I know what that meant. And I’m sure she did too. I don’t think she’d fault you for being where you _needed_ to be.”

I sigh, and put my hand on the back of Ray’s head, pulling him close and kissing him. “I’m still terrified.”

“That’s okay,” Ray tells me. “You and me, we’ll do it together.”

I’m feeling steadier as Abby knocks on the kitchen doorway to announce herself. “Everything okay?”

“For now,” I nod. “So what’s so important that Tim had to rush out?”

“A red-ball,” Abby answers, and I don’t like the worried look on her face. “He won’t be home until it’s done. And really, I don’t know what to do with myself right now. I always get so _nervous_ when Tim’s out on the job, and I don’t know why. I should be used to this.”

“You never get used to it, sweetie,” Ray says. “I still get nervous.”

“Oh okay,” I nod. “Um… I… I still have some unpacking to do and…” I whirl around to see the breakfast dishes in the sink, then back to Dad and Ray at the kitchen table. “Then there’s the dishes and…” Robo chooses that second to bark and come toward me, looking guilty. “What happened, Robo?”

Robo looks away and doesn’t move. So, I go back toward his crate to see that he’s had an accident on the floor.

“Fuck!” I shout in desperation. “Is nothing going to go right today?” I turn back around to see Dad standing in the doorway. “Robo just had an accident.”

“I figured he did, with the look on his face.”

I try to take a deep breath, but it’s shaky. “Ugh! Why does everything have to suck so badly today?”

“Abigail…” Dad uses my full name and pulls me into a hug.

I let out a frustrated scream into Dad’s shoulder. Then, I just start crying. With Grandmother’s news, Tim being called into work (I’m not stupid, he hasn’t told me specifics, but _I know_ that when Junior Bunk is involved, it’s never good), and now Robo having an accident, it’s too much today. One or two crises, I can handle, but _not_ when today is supposed to be a happy day. Tim and I just got engaged, for God’s sake!

Dad holds me until I stop crying, then sends me off for a shower and a nap. When I wake up, he says, I’ll need to eat, and once I do, then the day will look better. He and Ray will take care of the dogs.

I do what he says, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. Dad and Ray don’t bat an eye, though. Sometimes the fear and tension has to be released. I end up sleeping for about an hour, and when I wake up, Dad has a sandwich and a glass of juice waiting for me.

After I eat, I look in the fridge and the cupboard, and I see that we need to stock up on the essentials. Plus, I need to do more of the unpacking. We’ve only just moved in, and not everything is in its proper place yet. Maybe that will help with keeping me occupied. After all, worrying means suffering twice.

As I sit on the couch pulling on my shoes, Robo comes over and puts his head on my knee.

“Hi Robo,” I greet him and rub his head. “I’m sorry I scared you. Everything is okay. I just had a bad morning.” He licks my hand. “Are you and Dief getting along?”

Robo whuffles at me in response.

“Good. Tim will be home later, and then we can all go to the park, how does that sound?”

Robo barks in delight.

“Good. Now, can you be nice to Dief for a little while longer? I have to do a grocery shop, and Dad wants to get to know you better. Can you do that?” I know I’m speaking to him as though he’s a toddler, but he seems to understand.

I can see that both Dad and Ray need a little time to themselves, and I need some fresh air. So I let them know that I’ll be back soon, and they have free run of the house.

That said, even outside and in the fresh air, and Ray telling me that being nervous and worried when Tim is on shift is normal, I’ve still got a weird feeling that I can’t shake. There’s a charge in the air, and something tells me that after tonight, nothing will be the same.

 

ooOoo

Things couldn’t be much worse. We brought Junior Bunk in for questioning, but he’s no longer the scared boy he was the first time he was in the interrogation room. This guy isn’t giving us anything. Frank and I have done everything we can. All we could do after the unsuccessful interrogation was wait for him to be transported to lock up. Since the aquarium was full, he was handcuffed to a desk to wait.

That simple act got three uniforms killed, and sent Stu Gharty and Laura Ballard to the hospital with gunshot wounds. Junior Bunk had gotten into that desk drawer and pulled a uniform’s service weapon. It took me, Meldrick, Mike, and Gee to bring him down. Frank hesitated. All these years and he can’t bring himself to shoot his gun outside the range. Of course, no one relishes the thought of having to fire their weapon, but if you must, it doesn’t do to hesitate.

All of us, aside from Terri Stivers and Paul Falsone, are waiting in the hospital waiting room for news. Gee is restless and pacing.

“We have to go back to work,” he says when Munch wonders aloud what to do. “No one in the Mahoney organization sleeps tonight. Gharty and Ballard are in good hands. We’re not doing them any favours by waiting here. Let’s go.”

I’ve never seen so many police descending on so many people. We’re all going to the armoury, putting on bulletproof vests, teaming up with the uniforms. Every single one of us wants Georgia Rae Mahoney.

We end up at a house that Georgia Rae bought for a long time friend, and that’s when we realize that, despite all our precautions, we’re outnumbered. This isn’t just a gun battle; we’re out for blood.

Frank runs around the back of the house, and when I get there, I see him aiming for someone up high. He’s got one eye closed, lining up the shot, but I know he can’t do it.

I don’t even think. I step in front of him and push him out of the way.

I feel it before I know what’s actually happened. Pain. There’s pain searing all through my back, and I hear Frank gentle me onto the ground.

“I’m okay,” I insist, trying to get up.

“ _My partner’s down!”_ Frank is screaming. “ _Somebody!”_

“Did we get him?” I ask.

“Stay still, baby,” Frank tells me. “ _Somebody!”_ he screams over his shoulder. “ _My partner’s down! My partner’s been shot!”_

I’ve been shot? Is _that_ why my back hurts so much? Why am I just lying here? Why don’t I hear an ambulance? Why is John holding my arm back? Frank’s still screaming over his shoulder and trying to make sure I stay still.

 _Fuck,_ this hurts!

ooOoo

Dad, Ray, and I are sitting on the living room floor, sorting through photo albums and dance trophies when I hear the phone ring. It’s so sudden I nearly jump three feet in the air.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Hello, this is Lieutenant Al Giardello. May I speak with Abigail, please?”

Oh _shit._ My heart jumps into my throat. “Speaking, Lieutenant. How can I help you?”

“It’s my duty to inform you that Tim was involved and injured in a gun fight tonight. He’s currently in surgery.”

I knew it. I _knew_ something was wrong. I gulp, and try to keep my composure. “I see.” It’s all I can manage. “Which hospital are you at?”

“Johns Hopkins,” he answers, and tells me that he has already called Virginia. She’s in the waiting room, having been escorted to the hospital by another police officer, and that she had the presence of mind to ask him to call me.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. I’ll be there soon.” I hang up, and turn toward the stove. This time, I don’t bother to try to hide it. I scream so loudly the windows rattle.

Dad and Ray burst into the kitchen and catch me as I fall to the floor, retching.


End file.
